November 17th, 2024: In Shenzhen, the skyline rises with glass and steel, but just beneath the city’s shiny surface, Yulv village remains...

Shenzhen, Guangdong, August 18th, 2025 — Coming in September 2025, Albert Z. Wang's book The Other Half of Modern China: Eleven Stories...

July 6th, 2024: Sister Mann’s eyes welled up, her face partially hidden by a few strands of messy hair across her cheek. She wiped her...

Apr 29th, 2026: Q: I saw a few school-aged kids with school bags walking into the factory earlier. Do they live here? A: Yeah, they live with their parents in the factory dorms. There’s a primary school and a kindergarten right behind the factory, provided by the government for the community. There are also some local private businesses setting up schools. Q: In some factories, only a few people can live in the dorms, and you have to work your way up. Is it the same here? Do

Apr 29th, 2026: Q: You’ve been with the factory since 2003, and you’ve witnessed each other’s growth over the years. A: Absolutely. Back then, this whole area (he points around the factory) was nothing but wasteland – dirt roads and barren fields. There weren’t even proper roads, just muddy dirt paths. There were a few hills in the distance. See those tall buildings over there? There used to be small villages, with some small houses, and a few tiny factories. All of that’s go

August 31st, 2024: Q: As you said, life in the countryside has been getting better and better since China’s economic reforms. Why do you...

August 31st, 2024: After the Jingtai Factory moved out of Shenzhen, Aunt Liu’s husband went to work at a rice noodle factory in Guizhou,...

August 31st, 2024: In 2008, at the age of 38, Aunt Liu “moved to the big city to find work.” Like countless other rural-to-urban migrant...

June 29th, 2024: Q: What made you leave Zhejiang and move to Shenzhen? A: I got tired of Zhejiang and wanted a change. I just felt like...

August 26th, 2023: Mr. Fu (Fu Xiong), first from left, carrying his daughter, second from left "Q: Your whole family can finally live...

August 26th, 2023: Fu Xiong's daughter, exiting the factory front gate In November 2008, Fu Xiong’s wife gave birth to a beautiful baby...

August 26th, 2023: Mr. Fu (Fu Xiong), first from the right, carrying his dinner to his home When Fu Xiong first entered the factory,...

June 6th, 2024: Ms. Mei (Xiao Mei), left one, returning to the Regina Miracle Factory for overtime session after interview with me "Q:...

June 6th, 2024: Ms. Mei (Xiao Mei), sixth from the left, crossing the street when walking from the Regina Miracle Factory to the nearby...

June 6th, 2024: Ms. Mei (Xiao Mei), first from the left, walking across the park beside the Regina Miracle Factory with her friend after...

May 31st, 2025: Ms. Li (Auntie Li), second from the right, leading assistive device applicants to their assigned evaluators Note:...

May 31st, 2025: Ms. Li (Auntie Li), first from the right, leading assistive device applicants to their assigned evaluators Note: Language...

May 31st, 2025: Ms. Li (Auntie Li), second from the right, leading assistive device applicants to their assigned evaluators Note:...

May 25th, 2025: Uncle He (second from the left) and I (third from the left), at Futian Disability Center's reception area Q&A: A...

May 25th, 2025: Uncle He (second from the left) and I (third from the left), at Futian Disability Center's reception area Family Trust,...

May 25th, 2025: Uncle He (second from the left) and I (third from the left), at Futian Disability Center's reception area Building...

May 25th, 2025: Uncle He (second from the left) and I (third from the left), at Futian Disability Center's reception area The Legal...

Daughter: “Dad, can we have pizza tonight?” Father: “Pizza? What pizza? We’re having steamed buns with pickled veggies.” Mother: “We’re...

Apr 29th, 2026: It was around 6 PM on April 29th, and the entrance to the Weixing Garment Factory was alive with something unexpected – kids in school uniforms, backpacks slung over their shoulders, running and jumping in and out of the factory gate. I hadn’t seen anything like this at other clothing factories. As it turned out, they were kids of factory employees, and they lived here in the factory compound with their parents. The factory employed about 1,100 workers, and ha

August 31st, 2024: It was a little after 4 PM on August 31, 2024. I was waiting at the gate of Shenzhen Lihua Fashion Garment Factory for...

July 6th, 2024: As promised, I arrived at the gates of the Lihua Garment Factory again, waiting for Sister Man to appear. At 5:30 sharp,...

June 29th, 2024: It was 6 PM. Waves of workers were streaming out of the big gates of Shenzhen’s Zhongtai Garment Factory, rushing to...

August 26th, 2023: Mr. Fu (Fu Xiong), exiting the factory front gate August 26th, 2023, 9 p.m. The building of Zhaowen Textile & Garment...

June 6th, 2024: Ms. Mei (Xiao Mei), walking on the streets of a nearby urban village after afternoon work session ended, taking her...